Memorial Day is an annual holiday that remembers the fallen in battles and wars of the past in order to preserve the freedoms and liberties we enjoy today. For many Americans, it is a time to visit their relatives’ graves and to mark the beginning of summer by heading out to the community pool or fire up the charcoals to welcome the season of grilled meats and buns.
This year, we decided to take a trek to the National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes in Emmitsburg, Maryland. We were mainly there to support Fr. Leo Patalinghug’s food truck called Plating Grace and Grub. The ones running the kitchen are ex-felons who are given the skills and the experience of running a food truck business. Customers mix and match their choice of protein, preparation (quesadilla, salad, or stir-fry noodles), and sauce to complement the dish. Suggested prices are posted and you may pay via cash or credit card. Though the servings are really snack portions, they were big in flavor. To catch Fr. Leo’s food truck, check the schedule here.
After a quick lunch, it was time to walk it off. Heading up the hill along the Seton Walkway, you will see the Stations of the Cross on the left. On the right are statues of holy figures, prominent of which is Saint Sharbel, a Lebanese Maronite priest. It is also the newest addition along this walkway. As you walk further up, you will come across the statue of Our Lady in the center of a circular pool. Nearby, you may fill up water bottles with spring water, in the same vein as the grotto in Lourdes, France.
As you move further up the hill, you will enter the Sanctuary of the Grotto where people pray and where mass may be said. Affixed into the cave structure is an original stone from the grotto in Lourdes. It is easy to spot as it is a dark color compared to the rest of the cave stones. For a small donation, you may also light candles and attach your petition into the donation box. At the top of the hill is the Cavalry Station where Jesus is on the cross with the mourners at his feet.
On the way back down, you can take a different way so that you can view the various mosaics depicting the mysteries of the rosary. At various points, you will also encounter statues of St. Pope John Paull II, St. Theresa of the Child Jesus, and many more.
I didn’t expect the Shrine to be this crowded for Memorial Day. I could hear the familiar Tagalog from some of my countrymen; Spanish filled the air as families lugged their bottled water jugs that one normally sees in office break rooms to fill to the brim with spring water; and plenty of Vietnamese worshippers visiting the standalone Our Lady of LaVang shrine. But it also made a lot of sense that many immigrants would flock to the shrine for Memorial Day. The Shrine is truly a place of pilgrimage for many and an appropriate reminder of those who have died in defense of God and their faith.
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Ephesians 6: 10 – 17
The Mama Travels 
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